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By Staff Reports

(Victor Valley)– Spanking, a form of discipline used by many parents, has long been the focus of debate on whether it is a useful and constructive method to raise children.

Laura Kamptner, Cal State San Bernardino professor of human development will talk about alternatives to spanking and positive child guidance techniques on Friday, May 31, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino.

“Many parents aren’t aware of normal developmental milestones and often have unrealistic expectations of child/teen,” says Kamptner. “Also, most parents mistakenly think that punishments are the best way to change a child’s behavior.”

She explains that parents often turn to spanking when a child misbehaves, but parents should communicate with their kids instead.

The lecture will also go over some of the alternatives to spanking, such as using the “when-then” method instead of spanking. For example, “When you clean your room, then you can go outside to play.”

In the case that a child misbehaves, then an honest and open talk should occur between the parent and the child. “These child guidance methods are referred to as ‘developmentally appropriate practice’ or ‘best practice’ in the field of child development and early childhood education,” says Kamptner.

Kamptner is a co director of Project CUIDAR and a coordinator at the parenting center of the CSUSB Institute of Child Development and Family Relations. She has specialized for 40 years in parenting and long-term consequences of attachment security.

The event takes place at the Inland Regional Center’s Conference Center, 1425 S. Waterman Ave., in San Bernardino. Parking and attending the event is free and open to the general public.

For more information on the lecture, “Alternatives to Spanking and Positive Child Guidance Techniques,” contact Kimberly McDonald at (909) 537-3679 or email her at kmcdonal@csusb.edu.

For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.